History of Canonical Literature of Jainas

Author(s): Hiralal R Kapadia, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: Prakrit Text Society Ahmedabad

Page 232

COMPARISON AND EVALUATION
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Had the Jainas not resorted to Addhamāgahī language and developed and preserved it as they have done, perhaps we would not have been in a position to explain some of the forms and words occurring in the Rg-Veda, Suklayajuhprātiśākhya, Atharvasamhitā, Taittirīyasamhitā, Vājasaneyisaṁhitā, śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, Gopatha Brāhmaṇa, Taittirīya aranyaka etc.
Now a word about Apabhramśa language. It appears that the Apabhramsa literature consists mostly of the Jaina works, those composed by the non-Jainas being few and far between. Hemacandra Sūri is the Panini of Apabhramśa grammar, and he has quoted several verses from the works of his predecessors. It remains to be ascertained if the following verse occurring in silānka Sūri's com. (p. 107) on Sūyagada is found in any of his works :
“कोद्धायओ को समचित्तु काहोऽवणाहिं काहो दिजउ वित्त । को उग्घाडउ परिहियउ परिणीयउ को व कुमारु
पडियउ जीव खडप्फडेहिं बंधइ पावह भारु ।' The following verse, too, occurs in this commentary; for, this verse occurs in the commentary (p. 107) on Sūyagada according to Apabhramśapāthāvalī, though I do not find it in this commentary. This verse quoted in Apabhramśapāthāvalī (p. 155) is quoted by Haribhadra Sūri in his commentary (p. 694) on Dasaveyāliya and it occurs in Avassayacunni, too. The verse is as follows:
“वरि विस खइयं न विसयसुहु इक्कसि विसिण भरंति । विसयाविस पुण घारिया णर णरएहिं वि पडंति॥"
These verses help us to some extent in fixing the period of the origin of Apabhramśa literature, though it may be argued that the very
the Addhamāgahi language also known as Arsa and Rsibhāsita is defined as one consisting of 18 Deśī bhāsās, 2 distinctly suggests that Apabhramśa is very very old and can be said to have its origin at least as early as the composition of the Jaina canon.
1.
2.
For illustrations see Païa-sadda-mahannava (vol. IV, intro., p. 11). Dr. P. D. Gune's An Introduction to Comparative Philology (p. 192) may be also consulted. See Nāyādhammakahā (p. 38), Vivāgasuya (I, II, § 34) and Ovavāiya (p. 98) where the phrase 3ERHGH THIfare occurs. See also a Ms. (folio 76) of Dāksinyacihna Sūri's Kuvalayamālā at B. 0. R. I.
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